Effects of Weather Conditions on Oxidative Stress, Oxidative Damage, and Antioxidant Capacity in a Wild-Living Mammal, the European Badger (Meles meles). 2018

Kirstin Bilham, and Chris Newman, and Christina D Buesching, and Michael J Noonan, and Amy Boyd, and Adrian L Smith, and David W Macdonald

Wild-living animals are subject to weather variability that may cause the generation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress and tissue damage, potentially driving demographic responses. Our 3-yr field study investigated the effects of seasonal weather conditions on biomarkers for oxidative stress, oxidative damage, and antioxidant defense in the European badger (Meles meles). We found age class effects: cubs were more susceptible to oxidative stress and oxidative damage than adults, especially very young cubs in the spring, when they also exhibited lower antioxidant biomarkers than adults. Although previous studies have found that intermediate spring and summer rainfall and warmer temperatures favor cub survival, counterintuitively these conditions were associated with more severe oxidative damage. Oxidative damage was high in cubs even when antioxidant biomarkers were high. In contrast, adult responses accorded with previous survival analyses. Wetter spring and summer conditions were associated with higher oxidative damage, but they were also associated with higher antioxidant biomarkers. Autumnal weather did not vary substantially from normative values, and thus effects were muted. Winter carryover effects were partially evident, with drier and milder conditions associated with greater oxidative damage in the following spring but also with higher antioxidant capacity. Plausibly, warmer conditions promoted more badger activity, with associated metabolic costs at a time of year when food supply is limited. Modeling biomarkers against projected climate change scenarios predicted greater future risks of oxidative damage, although not necessarily exceeding antioxidant capacity. This interdisciplinary approach demonstrates that individual adaptive physiological responses are associated with variation in natural environmental conditions.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008136 Longevity The normal length of time of an organism's life. Length of Life,Life Span,Lifespan,Life Spans,Lifespans
D000375 Aging The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time. Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000975 Antioxidants Naturally occurring or synthetic substances that inhibit or retard oxidation reactions. They counteract the damaging effects of oxidation in animal tissues. Anti-Oxidant,Antioxidant,Antioxidant Activity,Endogenous Antioxidant,Endogenous Antioxidants,Anti-Oxidant Effect,Anti-Oxidant Effects,Anti-Oxidants,Antioxidant Effect,Antioxidant Effects,Activity, Antioxidant,Anti Oxidant,Anti Oxidant Effect,Anti Oxidant Effects,Anti Oxidants,Antioxidant, Endogenous,Antioxidants, Endogenous
D012621 Seasons Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014887 Weather The state of the ATMOSPHERE over minutes to months. Fog,Fogs
D015227 Lipid Peroxidation Peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of lipids using hydrogen peroxide as an electron acceptor. Lipid Peroxidations,Peroxidation, Lipid,Peroxidations, Lipid
D015415 Biomarkers Measurable and quantifiable biological parameters (e.g., specific enzyme concentration, specific hormone concentration, specific gene phenotype distribution in a population, presence of biological substances) which serve as indices for health- and physiology-related assessments, such as disease risk, psychiatric disorders, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE and its effects, disease diagnosis; METABOLIC PROCESSES; SUBSTANCE ABUSE; PREGNANCY; cell line development; EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES; etc. Biochemical Markers,Biological Markers,Biomarker,Clinical Markers,Immunologic Markers,Laboratory Markers,Markers, Biochemical,Markers, Biological,Markers, Clinical,Markers, Immunologic,Markers, Laboratory,Markers, Serum,Markers, Surrogate,Markers, Viral,Serum Markers,Surrogate Markers,Viral Markers,Biochemical Marker,Biologic Marker,Biologic Markers,Clinical Marker,Immune Marker,Immune Markers,Immunologic Marker,Laboratory Marker,Marker, Biochemical,Marker, Biological,Marker, Clinical,Marker, Immunologic,Marker, Laboratory,Marker, Serum,Marker, Surrogate,Serum Marker,Surrogate End Point,Surrogate End Points,Surrogate Endpoint,Surrogate Endpoints,Surrogate Marker,Viral Marker,Biological Marker,End Point, Surrogate,End Points, Surrogate,Endpoint, Surrogate,Endpoints, Surrogate,Marker, Biologic,Marker, Immune,Marker, Viral,Markers, Biologic,Markers, Immune
D045969 Mustelidae A family of terrestrial carnivores with long, slender bodies, long tails, and anal scent glands. They include badgers, weasels, martens, FERRETS; MINKS; wolverines, polecats, and OTTERS. Badgers,Gulo,Martens,Martes,Martes zibellina,Sables,Weasels,Wolverines,Badger,Gulos,Marten,Sable,Weasel,Wolverine

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